U.S. patent number 5,896,991 [Application Number 08/909,780] was granted by the patent office on 1999-04-27 for blister card package for holding and displaying small items.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Mattel, Inc.. Invention is credited to Keith Alan Hippely, William R. O'Keefe.
United States Patent |
5,896,991 |
Hippely , et al. |
April 27, 1999 |
Blister card package for holding and displaying small items
Abstract
A generally planar substantially rigid backing supports a
transparent plastic blister on the front surface thereof. The
blister defines an open rear portion and an encircling attachment
flange. The lower edge of the attachment flange defines interleaved
notches and tabs extending downwardly. The blister further defines
a rib having an interior groove formed therein extending along each
side and across the front portion of the blister. A generally
planar support sheet formed of a rigid material defines a plurality
of upwardly extending retainers having engagement apparatus formed
therein. A cosmetic card formed of a decorative material defines a
plurality of slots aligned with the retainers and is received upon
the support sheet with the retainers passing through the slots. The
retainers engage the to-be-packaged articles and secure them upon
the cosmetic card. The support sheet includes a plurality of
interleaved tabs and notches extending downwardly from the rear
edge thereof. The tabs and notches of the blister and support sheet
are offset to allow interleaving thereof and common attachment to
the backing to secure the blister to the rigid backing.
Inventors: |
Hippely; Keith Alan (Manhattan
Beach, CA), O'Keefe; William R. (Redondo Beach, CA) |
Assignee: |
Mattel, Inc. (El Segundo,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25427821 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/909,780 |
Filed: |
August 12, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/461; 206/467;
206/776; 206/781 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
73/0021 (20130101); B65D 75/36 (20130101); B65D
75/366 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
75/28 (20060101); B65D 73/00 (20060101); B65D
75/36 (20060101); B65D 085/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/461,467,468,469,470,471,775,776,778,781 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
471746 |
|
Sep 1937 |
|
GB |
|
507644 |
|
Jun 1939 |
|
GB |
|
1419022 |
|
Dec 1975 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Ackun; Jacob K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ekstrand; Roy A.
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. A package and small item in combination, said combination
comprising:
a small item having engagement means;
a generally planar backing having a front surface;
a blister, formed of a light-transmissive material, defining an
enclosure having an open rear portion and first attachment means
for attaching said blister to said front surface;
a support sheet defining a plurality of upwardly extending
retainers received within said enclosure; and
a cosmetic sheet overlying said support sheet and defining
apertures through which said retainers pass to extend upwardly
beyond said cosmetic sheet;
said small item being held above said cosmetic sheet by the
cooperation of said engagement means and said retainers and said
blister being secured to said front surface by said first
attachment means covering said open rear portion.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said small item is a toy
vehicle having front and rear axles providing said engagement means
and wherein said retainers each define means for engaging said
axles.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said means for engaging said
axles includes an aperture formed in each of said retainers and a
slit extending outwardly from each of said apertures.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said small item is a toy
figure having a pedestal providing said engagement means and
wherein said retainers each define a slot for grasping a portion of
said pedestal.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said small item engagement
means includes an aperture and wherein each of said retainers
define a barbed arrowhead for passing through said aperture and
engaging said small item.
6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said blister defines an
internal groove and wherein portions of said support sheet define
edges received therein.
7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first attachment means
includes an outwardly extending first flange encircling said open
rear portion attached to said front surface.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said support sheet defines
second attachment means for attaching said support sheet to said
front surface.
9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said blister defines an
internal groove and wherein portions of said support sheet define
edges received therein.
10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said second attachment means
includes a second flange attached to said front surface.
11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said first flange defines a
first plurality of interleaved notches and tabs and wherein said
second flange defines a second plurality of notches and tabs offset
from said first plurality of notches and tabs, said tabs of said
second plurality extending through said notches of said first
plurality.
12. A package and small item in combination, said combination
comprising:
a small item;
a blister package having a backing and a light-transmissive
blister, defining an enclosure, secured to said backing;
a support member received within said enclosure having a plurality
of upwardly extending retainers for engaging said small item;
and
a cosmetic member overlying said support member having apertures
therein, said retainers passing through said apertures.
13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said small item is a toy
vehicle having plural wheels and axles and wherein said retainers
extend to and engage said axles passing inwardly of said
wheels.
14. The combination of claim 12 wherein said blister defines an
internal groove and wherein portions of said support sheet define
edges received therein.
15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said support member and
said cosmetic member each define respective side and front edges
received within said internal groove.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to packaging utilized for small
products or items and particularly to those generally known in the
art as "blister packs".
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Blister card packaging has been developed in various forms through
the years for providing a convenient packaging which facilitates
displaying the packaged article upon shelves or hanging from shelf
hangers. Such blister package use has greatly enhanced the
attractiveness of displaying and handling small product articles
such as small toys or the like. While the design of blister type
packaging has varied substantially, the most common type of blister
packaging utilizes a relatively stiff card or backing element
usually printed with attractive designs and pleasing materials
intended to catch the potential consumer's eye. The card or backing
is generally configured to be hung from shelf hangers or able to
stand on product shelves as needed. A clear plastic "blister" is
secured to the card or backing and captivates the product therein.
Early blister card packaging utilized blisters formed of relatively
thin material which was vacuum drawn to generally conform to the
product shape. This form to fit type blister typically defines an
outer flange or lip which is glued to or otherwise secured to the
card or backing.
Later developed blister card packages utilizes a decorative or
aesthetically pleasing card hanger formed of a stiff cardboard
material or the like together with a non form-fitting clear plastic
"bubble" container. The non form-fitting bubble container is
typically larger than the packaged product and thus various means
have been utilized for securing and maintaining the product within
the clear plastic container bubble. In many such packages, an
interior platform often formed of a brightly colored or
aesthetically interesting material is supported within the clear
plastic bubble. With the advent of non form-fitting blister
packaging, a need arose to secure the product to the interior
platform. In most instances, conventional tie-down wires or "twist
ties" are utilized. In other packaging systems, and interior
form-fitting bubble is employed.
With increased pressure on manufacturers to more economically
package their products and with increased need to package products
in an attractive eye catching manner, a substantial number of
different packaging configurations and designs have been created.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,138 issued to Klawiter sets forth
a PACKAGING FOR A TOY having a bottom, top, front, back and
sidewalls defining a box sized to receive a toy. The bottom surface
of the box has an opening aligned with the toy slot so that a key
may be passed through the bottom box opening into the toy's body
and slot. Portions of the package are provided with clear
transparent windows to facilitate viewing of the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,739 issued to Wilford sets forth RETENTION OF
ARTICLES ON A SHEET having an assembly for an article, for example
a toy vehicle, retained on a sheet in which the article is located
on one side of the sheet and is held by a retainer. The retainer
comprises a body portion of the opposite side of the sheet from the
article and projections extend from the body portion such as a toy
vehicle wheel set to engage recesses in the sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,003 issued to Miller, et al. sets forth a BOOK
AND MOUNTED CONTAINER having a book and a formed thin-walled hollow
shell with one side thereof open and defining a flange closed by
one of the book covers to form a closed container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,547 issued to Pallasch, et al. sets forth a
STACKABLE PIGGY BACK CARTON FOR BASKETBALL BACKBOARD AND RIM having
positioning tabs on the package which position and hold a
basketball rim on the backboard package.
U.S. Pat No. 5,060,798 issued to Braastad sets forth a PAPERBOARD
HOLDER FOR FLOWER VASES AND THE LIKE having a paperboard or
cardboard blank defining a plurality of upwardly foldable tabs
configured to encircle the base of a vase or similar article. A tie
string is passed through the upper portion of the tabs to encircle
and confine the vase.
British Patent 471,746 sets forth IMPROVEMNTS IN DEVICES FOR
CARRYING PRODUCTION THEREOF utilizing a generally planar cardboard
or paper card having a plurality of apertures formed therein each
having opposed tabs folded upward therefrom. The apertures and tabs
are arranged in pairs to receive and captivate a plurality of
pencils in a linear array.
British Patent 1,419,022 sets forth IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO
PACKAGING having a combination of a tubular or box-like carton
receiving an article to be packaged. The carton defines end panels
which extend through slots formed in the back panel of the product
carton to foldably secure the product carton.
British Patent 507,644 sets forth IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
SUPPORTS FOR DISPLAY CARDS FOR ARTICLES having a planar support
card defining a plurality of apertures having folded tabs extending
outwardly therefrom. The apertures and tabs are arranged in a
linear arrangement to facilitate holding an article such as a comb
or the like. The rear portion of the card supports a foldable
support stand element for positioning and supporting the card
display upon a suitable display surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,023 issued to Shinoda sets forth a CONTAINER
FOR CUT FLOWERS having a transparent blister secured to a backing
formed of a paper or cardboard. A foldable tab is formed in the
backing which defines a slot to receive the stem of a flower or the
like.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,084 issued to Schmidt sets forth a DISPLAY
DEVICE for supporting and displaying articles such as toy soldiers
having support pedestals. The display device includes a generally
planar paperboard or cardboard having a plurality of apertures and
folding tabs defined therein. The apertures receive the pedestals
of the soldiers while the folding tabs secure the pedestals in
place.
U.S. Pat. No. 511,088 issued to Lunbeck, et al. sets forth an
EXHIBITING DEVICE adapted to hold and display irregular forms such
as mineral specimens or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,156,074 issued to Hahn sets forth a PACKING CASE
FOR FRAGILE ARTICLES while U.S. Pat. No. 1,643,421 issued to Rowan
sets forth a DISPLAY CARD for securing a doll or toy figure having
folding tabs extending from a generally planar support base.
While the foregoing described prior art devices as well as the
above-described conventional blister packaging have, in some
instances provided improvement in the art and in some instances
enjoyed commercial success, there remains a continuing need in the
art for a blister package system which provides optimum display and
attractiveness of the packaged article while maintaining the
article securely within the blister pack without the need of
unattractive and inefficient tie-downs or twist ties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to
provide an improved blister card package. It is a more particular
object of the present invention to provide an improved blister card
package for holding and displaying small items which securely
maintains the small item within a non form-fitting blister.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a
package and small item in combination, the combination comprising:
a small item having engagement means; a generally planar backing
having a front surface; a blister, formed of a light-transmissive
material, defining an enclosure having an open rear portion and
first attachment means for attaching the blister to the front
surface; a support sheet defining a plurality of upwardly extending
retainers received within the enclosure; and a cosmetic sheet
overlying the support sheet and defining apertures through which
the retainers pass to extend upwardly beyond the cosmetic sheet,
the small item being held above the cosmetic sheet by the
cooperation of the engagement means and the retainers and the
blister being secured to the front surface by the first attachment
means covering the open rear portion .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of the present invention, which are believed to be
novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The
invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof,
may best be understood by reference to the following description
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several
figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and
in which:
FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of a blister card package for
holding and displaying small items;
FIG. 2 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the package of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 sets forth a section view of the present invention package
taken along section lines 3--3 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 sets forth a partial section view of the present invention
package taken along section lines 4--4 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 sets forth a partial perspective view of the figure
attachment apparatus of the present invention package;
FIG. 6 sets forth a partial perspective assembly view of an
alternate product attachment constructed in accordance with the
present invention; and
FIG. 7 sets forth a partial perspective assembly view of a still
further alternate product attachment apparatus constructed in
accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of a package constructed in
accordance with the present invention supporting a pair of toy
articles. The present invention package of FIG. 1 is generally
referenced by numeral 10 and includes a generally planar backing 11
preferably formed of a rigid paperboard or cardboard. Backing 11
includes a front surface 12 which in a typical product packaging
environment supports an aesthetically appealing design or image
intended to attract the attention of a would-be purchaser. Package
10 further includes a non formfitting blister 20 preferably formed
of a clear plastic material or the like. Blister 20 is generally
rectangular in shape and defines an attachment flange 21 generally
orthogonal to the top, bottom and side surfaces of blister 20.
Blister 20 is open at its rear side and further defines a rib 22
which extends along each side and across the front portion of
blister 20. As is better seen in FIG. 2, rib 22 defines an internal
groove 23. While rib 22 operates to substantially strengthen
blister 20, its primary purpose is to receive the front and side
edges of support sheet 30 and cosmetic card 23 (the former seen in
FIG. 2 and provide secure support for a toy article 23 and a toy
FIG. 14 secured within blister 20 by means set forth below in
greater detail. Suffice it to note here, however, that attachment
flange 21 is secured to front surface 12 of backing 11 using
conventional adhesives or the like to provide secure attachment of
blister 20 to backing 11. In the attachment of blister 20 to
backing 11, cosmetic card 23 and the underlying support sheet
(support sheet 30 shown in FIG. 2) are secured within blister
20.
In accordance with the present invention and by means set forth
below in greater detail, a toy vehicle 13 is secured to cosmetic
card 23 and support sheet 30 (seen in FIG. 2) to maintain toy
vehicle 13 securely within blister 20. of importance with respect
to the present invention is the substantially invisible attachment
of toy vehicle 13 and thus the free and open display of the toy
vehicle within blister 20 to maximize customer appeal. Cosmetic
card 23 which in a typical packaging application supports a
decorative and aesthetically pleasing image further defines a pair
of elongated slots 24 and 25. By means set forth below in greater
detail, a pair of retainers 31 and 32 are supported beneath
cosmetic card 23 and extend upwardly through slots 24 and 25. A toy
FIG. 14 having a support pedestal 15 is secured to cosmetic card 23
by the engagement of retainers 31 and 32 in the manner shown in
FIG. 5.
FIG. 2 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the present
invention package embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Also shown in FIG. 2
are a pair of typical toy articles. Thus, a conventional toy
vehicle 13 having a plurality of support wheels such as front wheel
16 and rear wheel 17 are shown within package 10 together with a
toy FIG. 14 having a pedestal 15.
Package 10 includes a substantially rigid backing 11 preferably
formed of a stiff paperboard or cardboard material and having a
front face 12. Front face 12 typically defines an aesthetically
pleasing and attractive image printed thereon intended to enhance
customer appeal of the package. Package 10 further includes a
generally rectangular cosmetic card 23 preferably formed of a stiff
paperboard or cardboard material which may support an aesthetically
pleasing image to further enhance the package attractiveness to the
potential purchaser. Cosmetic card 23 further defines a pair of
slots 24 and 25 together with a quartet of slots 26 through 29.
Slot 24 and 25 are utilized in securing toy FIG. 14 while slots 26
through 29 are utilized in securing toy vehicle 13.
In further accordance with an important aspect of the present
invention, package 10 further includes a support sheet 30 having a
generally planar portion and a downwardly extending attachment
flange 33. Support sheet 30 defines a pair of upwardly extending
retainers 31 and 32 together with a quartet of upwardly extending
retainers 36 through 39. Retainers 31 and 32 as well as retainers
36 through 39 are formed by cutting generally U-shaped portions of
support sheet 30 and bending the resulting tab upwardly as shown in
FIG. 2. Cosmetic card 23 is sized and configured to rest upon the
horizontal portion of support sheet 30. Accordingly, and is further
accordance with the present invention, the positions of retainers
31 and 32 with respect to slots 24 and 25 are aligned such that
retainers 31 and 32 pass upwardly through slots 24 and 25 as
cosmetic card 23 is laid upon support sheet 30. Similarly,
retainers 36 through 39 are aligned with slots 26 through 29
respectively of cosmetic card 23 and thus pass through slots 26
through 29 when card 23 is placed upon support sheet 30. In further
accordance with the present invention, attachment flange 33 defines
a plurality of downwardly extending tabs 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64
together with a plurality of interleaved notches 65, 66, 67 and 68.
Support sheet 30 is preferably formed of a relatively rigid
material and for aesthetic reasons is preferably formed of a clear
plastic material similar to that forming blister 20.
Package 10 further includes a generally rectangular blister 20
formed of a clear plastic material and defining a substantially
rectangular interior cavity having an open rearward side. An
attachment flange 21 surrounds the open rear side of blister 20.
Blister 20 further defines a rib 22 having an interior groove 23
formed therein. Rib 22 extends along each side and across the front
portion of blister 20. The lower edge of attachment flange 21
defines a plurality of downwardly extending tabs 74, 75 and 76
together with interleaved notches 70, 71, 72 and 73.
Package 10 is assembled to package toy vehicle 13 and toy FIG. 14
by initially placing cosmetic card 23 upon the horizontal portion
of support sheet 30 such that retainers 31 and 32 pass through slot
24 and 25 and retainers 36 through 39 pass through slots 26 through
29 respectively. Thereafter, toy FIG. 14 is secured within
retainers 31 and 32 in the manner set forth below in FIG. 5 in
greater detail. Suffice it to note here that pedestal 15 is secured
within the slots of retainers 31 and 32 captivating pedestal 15
against cosmetic card 23. In further accordance with the present
invention, toy vehicle 13 is secured to retainers 36 through 39 in
the manner set forth below in FIG. 3 in greater detail. In
accordance with the present invention, retainers 36 through 39
define respective apertures 46 through 49. Retainers 36 through 39
further define respective slits 56 through 59 respectively which
extend into apertures 46 through 49. While the attachment of
vehicle 13 to retainers 36 through 39 is set forth in FIG. 3 in
greater detail, suffice it to note here that vehicle 13 in
accordance with conventional fabrication techniques defines a front
axle and a rear axle supporting its respective front and rear
wheels. Accordingly, retainers 36 through 39 are received directly
inward of each of the front and rear wheels of vehicle 13 such that
the respective front and rear axles of the toy vehicle (not shown)
are passed through slits 56 through 59 to be received within
apertures 46 through 49. The resilience of the material from which
retainers 36 through 39 are formed causes slits 56 through 59 to
close once the toy vehicle axles have passed therethrough
captivating toy vehicle 13 against cosmetic card 23 in a secure and
substantially invisible attachment.
Once the combination of cosmetic card 23, support sheet 30, toy
vehicle 13 and toy FIG. 14 has been assembled, the combined
assembly is inserted into blister 20 through the open rear side
thereof. During this insertion, both cosmetic card 23 and support
sheet 30 are received within groove 23 of rib 22. This provides
secure support and attachment between cosmetic card 23 and support
sheet 30 and blister 20 on the respective sides and front portions
thereof. Once support sheet 30 and cosmetic card 23 are fully
inserted into the interior of blister 20, attachment flange 33 is
received against the lower portion of attachment flange 21 in the
manner set forth below in FIGS. 3 and 4. Suffice it to note here
that the lower portion of attachment flange 33 defines a plurality
of interleaved notches and tabs. Similarly, it will be noted that
the lower portion of attachment flange 21 of blister 20 defines an
offset plurality of interleaved notches and tabs. Thus, as is
better seen in FIG. 4, the assembly of support sheet 30 into
blister 20 provides alignment of tabs 61 through 64 with notches 70
through 73 respectively of attachment flange 21. The combined
structure of support sheet 30, cosmetic sheet 23, toy vehicle 13,
toy FIG. 14 and blister 20 may then be assembled to front surface
12 of backing 11 by applying appropriate adhesive to attachment
flange 21 and attachment flange 23 to adhesively bond attachment
flanges 21 and 33 to front surface 12. In accordance with an
important aspect of the present invention, the fabrication of
alternate offset tabs and notches on attachment flange 21 of
blister 20 and attachment flange 33 of support sheet 30 facilitates
the secure attachment of the rear edge of support sheet 30 and the
attachment flange of blister 20.
With the assembly of package 10 complete, toy vehicle 13 and toy
FIG. 14 are securely mounted upon cosmetic card 23 in a low
visibility attachment which maximally displays the toy articles
while maintaining security of toy article attachment within blister
20. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that cosmetic
card 23 and front surface 12 of backing 11 may employ a suitable
set of visible images to coordinate with and enhance the appearance
of toy vehicle 13 and toy FIG. 14. It will be equally apparent to
those skilled in the art that while the example set forth in FIGS.
1 and 2 of the present invention package are utilized in securing a
toy vehicle and a toy figure, the present invention packaging may
be utilized to package a virtually endless variety of articles
within blister 20.
FIG. 3 sets forth a section view of the present invention package
taken along section lines 3--3 in FIG. 1. For purposes of
illustration and to avoid unduly cluttering the drawing, toy
vehicle 13 is shown in dashed-line phantom in FIG. 3. Thus, as
described above, package 10 includes a backing 11 defining a front
surface 12. Package 10 further includes a blister 20 formed of a
clear plastic material or the like defining an attachment flange
21. Blister 20 further defines a rib 22 forming an interior groove
23 along the sides and front portion of blister 20 (better seen in
FIG. 2). Within blister 20, a generally planar support sheet 30 is
received within interior groove 23 of rib 22 and secured to front
surface 12 of backing 11 by an attachment flange 33. As described
above, attachment flange 33 is preferably secured to surface 12
using a conventional adhesive attachment or the like. As is also
described above, attachment flange 33 of support sheet 30 and
attachment flange 21 of blister 20 define interleaved offset
notches and tabs facilitating the common attachment to front
surface 12 in a manner supporting the rear edge of support sheet 32
against backing 11. As is also described above, cosmetic card 23
defines a plurality of elongated slots such as slots 27 and 29
through which a corresponding plurality of retainers such as
retainers 37 and 39 formed in support sheet 30 pass upwardly to
engage their respective toy article. Thus, retainers 37 and 39
formed in support sheet 30 extend upwardly through slots 27 and 29
respectively. Retainers 37 and 39 define respective apertures 47
and 49 together with respective vertical slits 57 and 59. As
mentioned above, support sheet 30 is preferably formed of a rigid
material such as plastic or the like and thus retainers 37 and 39
are similarly rigid and resilient. The resilience of retainers 37
and 39 is important in that the front and rear axles of toy vehicle
13 may be passed through the slits formed in the retainers allowing
the front and rear axles to be engaged and captivated by the
retainers. More specifically and by way of illustration, retainer
37 receives front axle 18 of vehicle 13 by passing retainer 37
upwardly behind wheel 16 such that axle 18 passes through slit 57
and is received within aperture 47. Similarly retainer 39 passes
upwardly on the inside of rear wheel 17 of vehicle 13 such that
rear axle 19 of the toy vehicle is passed through slit 59 and is
received and captivated within aperture 49. While not seen in the
section view of FIG. 3, it will be understood with temporary
reference to FIG. 2 that a similar attachment takes place between
retainer 36 and front axle 18 of toy vehicle 13 as well as a
similar attachment between retainer 38 and rear axle 19 of toy
vehicle 13 to fully secure the toy vehicle.
Returning to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the combination of groove
23 within rib 22 of blister 20 and the adhesive attachment of
attachment flange 33 and attachment flange 21 to backing 11
cooperate to securely attach support sheet 30, cosmetic card 23 and
toy vehicle 13 together with toy FIG. 14 (seen in FIG. 2) within
the interior of blister 20.
FIG. 4 sets forth a partial section view of package 10 taken along
section lines 4--4 in FIG. 3. The importance of FIG. 4 is to more
clearly show the offset interleaved tabs and notches of attachment
flange 33 of support sheet 30 and attachment flange 21 of blister
20. This interleaved tab and notch arrangement provides an
interlocking high strength attachment for both attachment flanges
along a common adhesive attachment line.
More specifically, FIG. 4 sets forth cosmetic sheet 23 resting upon
support sheet 30. Support sheet 30 includes an attachment flange 33
having a plurality of downwardly extending tabs 61, 62 and 63
interleaved with notches 65, 66, 67 and 68. Also seen in FIG. 4,
blister 20 defines a downwardly extending attachment flange 21
which defines a plurality of notches 70, 71 and 72 together with
offset tabs 74, 75 and 76. The offset alignment between notches and
tabs of attachment flange 33 of support sheet 30 and attachment
flange 21 of blister 20 provide the extension of tabs 61, 62 and 63
of attachment flange 33 into notches 70, 71 and 72 of attachment
flange 21 of blister 20. As a result, the combined plurality of
tabs from both attachment flange 33 and attachment flange 21 may be
commonly secured to backing 11 along a common adhesive attachment
line. This common attachment secures the relative position of
support sheet 30 along its rear edge without additional
manufacturing steps and provides substantial advantage for the
present invention blister package.
FIG. 5 sets forth a partial perspective view of the attachment of
toy FIG. 14. As described above, a cosmetic card 23 defining slots
24 and 25 is received upon support sheet 30. Support sheet 30 in
turn defines upwardly extending retainers 31 and 32 having
respective slots 33 and 34 formed therein. Because retainers 31 and
32 pass through slots 24 and 25 of cosmetic card 23 and because
pedestal 15 of toy FIG. 14 is secured within slots 33 and 34 of
retainers 31 and 32, toy FIG. 14 is secured to support sheet 30 in
a manner captivating cosmetic card 23 upon the support sheet.
Additionally, however, it may be desirable in certain fabrications
to further attach cosmetic card 23 to support sheet 30 using
adhesive attachment or other bonding apparatus.
FIG. 6 sets forth a partial perspective assembly view of an
alternate embodiment of the present invention for securing a toy
article 84. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, a support sheet 80 is
fabricated in substantially the same manner as support sheet 30
described above and is received within a blister such as blister 20
in substantially the same manner as is also described above. In the
embodiment of FIG. 6, however, a retainer 81 having an arrow head
like shape is cut from support sheet 80 and folded upwardly. A
cosmetic sheet 82, substantially the same as cosmetic sheet 23
described above, defines an aligned slot 83 through which retainer
81 passes as cosmetic sheet 82 is rested upon support sheet 80. In
the embodiment of FIG. 6, toy article 84 defines an aperture 85.
Toy article 84 is thus secured to support sheet 30 overlying
cosmetic sheet 82 as retainer 81 is forced through aperture 85.
Once retainer 81 passes through aperture 85 it deforms and then,
due to its resilience, reassumes the shape shown in FIG. 6 to
captivate toy article 84.
FIG. 7 set forth a partial perspective assembly view of a still
further alternate embodiment of the present invention package. A
support sheet 90 substantially identical to support sheet 30 shown
above with the exception of a differently shaped retainer 91
receives a cosmetic sheet 92 substantially identically to cosmetic
sheet 23 set forth with the exception of an aligned slot 93 formed
therein.
Retainer 91 extends upwardly through slot 93 and engages a channel
95 formed in a toy article 94. The resilience of retainer 91 allows
retainer 91 to extend into and engage channel 95 to secure toy
article 94.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that while the
present invention package has been shown utilized in packaging and
securing various toy articles, it is equally applicable to other
small item blister packaging product situations. Thus, other
articles besides toy articles will be understood to be capable of
packaging within the present invention blister package.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the
appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as
fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *